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Fujitsu and Acacia resolve patent disputes with settlement, keep it out of the courts
Fujitsu's bank balance may be a little lighter today, since Acacia Research Corp. has reported that subsidiaries of both companies have signed a settlement deal over patent disputes. As usual, Acacia is keeping tight-lipped about exactly what the patents cover, but a little digging on our part has revealed they are related to flash memory and RAM technologies. The agreement resolves lawsuits in the works at district courts in Texas and California, which is probably a good thing. After all, these cases can get pretty messy when they go to court.
RIM escapes $147.2 million hit as Mformation appeal ends in victory
RIM has successfully appealed its patent infringement verdict against Mformation, letting the company off the hook for $147.2 million in damages. It was originally ordered to pay the stack of cash after a jury found that it had violated a remote management patent, but a California judge has overturned the decision after reexamining the evidence. Mformation still has the scope to appeal and thereby cause a fresh trial to begin from scratch, which could be fun.
Apple v. Samsung judge yells 'get to the point, you two'
Judge Lucy Koh, presiding over the courtroom battle 'twixt Apple and Samsung has ordered that both companies slim down the bundle of litigation so its easy for juries to understand. The docket currently contains 16 patent violations, six trademark issues, five "trade dress" claims and an antitrust matter -- which her Honor Judge Koh described as a "cruel and unusual punishment" for a jury. If both companies can't get over a table and produce a Cliffs Notes edition of their global patent battle, then she'll postpone the trial date until 2013.
